News
Shock as racist stickers appear in Killarney town
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By Michelle Crean
There’s widespread shock and disgust after racist stickers were discovered stuck to electricity poles along the Muckross Road in recent days.
The words ‘YOU’LL NEVER BE IRISH’ were written in large capital letters across the top of the notebook sized sticker with an image with five non-nationals resembling Muslims, Asians and Romanians, with a sign pointing towards the Convention Centre.
The discovery was made by hotel staff working in the area and it was immediately reported to Killarney Gardai who are now appealing to the public for information on the incident.
“We are appealing to anyone who may know something to let us know,” a Garda spokesperson told the Killarney Advertiser.
“Someone must know something. They were put up in a number of places and someone may have witnessed that or know where they were printed.”
Disgusted
Mayor of Kerry, Niall Kelleher, has this morning condemned the incident saying he is disgusted and enraged.
“Stickers placed on poles in public areas are racist and xenophobic, and in my opinion, they represent an incitement to hatred,” he said.
“They have no place and are not welcome in our town or in our communities. I call on all public representatives to denounce this action by cowardly, faceless individuals and I call on the Gardaí to do everything within their power to fully investigate this act and to bring the culprit(s) to justice.
“I would appeal to anybody that might know anything about this dastardly act to contact An Garda Siochana with any information that might be of assistance in their investigation.
As similar increases of this type of criminal act have been witnessed recently in other areas, I support the calls on Government by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties for legislation to the reviewed and strengthened in this area.”
Completely Unacceptable
Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce also voiced their disgust saying they condemn the act in the strongest possible terms.
“Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the mindless and completely unacceptable actions of whoever was responsible for placing racist, vulgar and pitiful slogans in a public area, under the cover of darkness, on Tuesday morning,” they said.
“Such dreadful behaviour has no place in the progressive and successful town of Killarney where there is a warm, genuine and universal welcome for everybody. We appreciate the enormous contribution made by people from overseas, over several decades, who come to live and work alongside us and become our neighbours, friends and colleagues and our children’s friends, classmates and teammates. Racism is an ugly weapon that must have no place in society and as long as mature, decent and responsible people stand up against the uneducated bullies that engage in such unacceptable acts, then they will have far more limited opportunities to spread their hatred. The Chamber’s steadfast view is that there must be absolutely no tolerance for discrimination, prejudice, insult or antagonism directed at anybody because they are of a different race or ethnicity.”
Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce would encourage anybody with any information that might help to identify those responsible for this cowardly act to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064-6631222 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
ANAM Centre launches packed summer cultural programme for locals and visitors
Kerry County Council’s Arts Service, in association with the Killarney Arts Working Group, has officially launched the 2026 ANAM Summer Arts Programme (ASAP).
The dedicated arts and cultural space on East Avenue Road is set to host a vibrant mix of live music, theatre, film, and youth competitions designed to appeal to both local residents and tourists throughout the peak holiday season.
The summer lineup aims to provide artists with critical platforms to showcase their work while giving audiences accessible opportunities to experience live art. Councillor Martin O’Grady noted that the programme includes a multitude of performances, offering an important platform for all ages to enjoy the arts. Mary Murphy of the Killarney Arts Working Group added that utilizing the ANAM space successfully draws new audiences to the Killarney arts scene.
Featured events include “Bog Jazz,” an innovative project by musicians Eoin ‘Stan’ O’Sullivan and Shane Murphy that reworks traditional Sliabh Luachra fiddle music using electric guitar and drums. Additionally, Sliabh Luachra Musician in Residence Aidan Connolly will lead a two-night concert series in late July alongside Bryan O’Leary, Colm Guilfoyle, and Charlie O’Brien, exploring the unique history, songs, and folklore of the region.
The programme also features “The Anam Sessions,” a series of five free bi-weekly evening concerts directed by Tim O’Shea. These sessions will showcase emerging local talent across Irish folk, singer-songwriter, and Afro-Irish genres. For younger musicians, the popular “Battle of the Bands” competition returns in August. Organised in partnership with Music Generation Kerry, it will feature separate junior and senior categories to highlight local youth talent.
The summer performance series is fully sponsored by the Kerry Arts Service. For further queries, the public can contact arts@kerrycoco.ie or call 066 7183541.
ANAM Summer Arts Event Calendar
Traditional and Folk Music (The Anam Sessions with Tim O’Shea) Dates: ; Wednesday, July 15; Wednesday, July 29; Wednesday, August 12; Wednesday, August 26 Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Sliabh Luachra Traditional Music Concert Series (Aidan Connolly and Guests) Dates: Wednesday, July 29; Thursday, July 30 Time: 8:00pm – 10:00pm
Battle of the Bands (Senior Competition) Dates: Friday, August 7; Friday, August 14; Friday, August 21; Friday, August 28 Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Battle of the Bands (Junior Competition) Dates: Sunday, August 9; Sunday, August 16; Sunday, August 23; Sunday, August 30 Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Bog Jazz Performance (Eoin O’Sullivan & Shane Murphy) Date: Thursday, August 20 Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
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